Prateek Swaika

Prateek is an experienced English solicitor advocate handling high-value, complex disputes. Acting on behalf of funds, banks, corporations, governments, heads of state, high-net-worth, and ultra-high-net-worth individuals, Prateek focuses his practice on high-stakes international litigation and arbitration, and global investigations and white collar defense. Clients regularly turn to him when it matters most.

Prateek provides strategic advice in bet-the-company litigation, manages sensitive reputational issues, and leads, coordinates, and resolves large-scale international commercial and ultra-high-net-worth disputes, frequently in concurrent proceedings and across multiple jurisdictions.

With his broad experience and judgment, Prateek routinely advises in high-profile and high-value matters, including shareholder and partnership disputes, complex damages actions, fraud, defamation, misuse of confidential information claims, data protection, judicial reviews, industrial sector disputes including employment and whistleblower claims, and big-ticket ultra-high-net-worth commercial, family trust, and marital disputes.

Prateek is described in Legal 500, 2022 (Commercial Litigation: Premium) as “a rising star, clever, hard-working and resourceful” and Legal 500, 2023 (Commercial Litigation: Premium) as being “commended for having transformed the identity of the London office”. Prateek is ranked by Citywealth, 2023 as amongst the “Top 100 International Private Client Litigation Lawyers 2023” and recommended by Spears500, 2024 for “Corporate Lawyers, Litigation and Dispute Resolution.”

Representative matters include advising:

Commercial Disputes

• Investors in a $1 billion-plus claim against a mining company regarding misleading statements in listing particulars

• Funders in a $1 billion-plus claim for fraud, breach of contract, and unlawful means conspiracy against sixteen defendants and proceedings in several jurisdictions

• A defense contractor in LCIA proceedings in a $1 billion dispute regarding a Ministry of Defence project

• An investment firm in enforcing $500 million foreign judgment debts in England

• A corporation in injunctive relief applications and speedy trial in England to restrain the defendants from obtaining unfair springboard advantage

• An international supplier in proceedings in the U.S., Netherlands, and Germany against a prominent international car manufacturer

• A senior equity partner of a large international law firm in a multi-million dollar dispute concerning whistleblower retaliation, discrimination, and breach of contract claims in England, Delaware, and Hong Kong

• A gaming software supplier in a £65 million litigation in the High Court against a sub-contractor

• A mobile network in proceedings in the Competition Appeals Tribunal against competitors and the U.K.’s Office of Communications

• An investment fund in a dispute with a shareholder relating to pre-emption rights and forced transfer of shares

• A defense contractor in an LCIA arbitration regarding the termination of an outsourcing agreement

• An airport construction contractor in $150 million LCIA proceedings regarding non-payment of invoices

• A corporate in a £1.5 billion adjudication with a local authority regarding a PFI contract

• A gas company in a £100 million claim in England regarding force majeure claims made by an off-taker

• A high-net-worth individual in judicial review proceedings against the Information Commissioner’s Office

• An investment firm in a $200 million debt claim against a shipping magnate

• A former CEO of an energy company regarding alleged breaches of covenants

Defamation

• A corporate against various media organizations in U.K. concerning serious allegations of financial wrongdoing
• International charities against media organizations in U.K, U.S., and Canada concerning serious allegations of fraud 
• A head of state against a media organization concerning allegations of corruption
• A Hollywood celebrity following allegations of adultery on social media
• An ultra-high-net-worth individual following allegations of serious criminal conduct by their partner in a marital dispute

Fraud

• A high-net-worth individual in judicial review proceedings against the Serious Fraud Office
• Stakeholders in connection with $2 billion conspiracy, fraud, and bribery proceedings in England and other jurisdictions
• A high-net-worth individual in respect of a forged £10 million loan agreement
• A multinational mining company in injunctive relief and substantive proceedings before the English High Court, Hong Kong, Chile, Barbados, and Australia in respect of sums misappropriated by a senior executive
• A banking syndicate in injunctive proceedings in Dubai and India and in substantive proceedings in Singapore against a borrower in respect of fraudulent transactions of over $80 million
• An independent fraud investigations committee in its review of a large Japanese electronics manufacturer

Bribery & Corruption

• An investment fund regarding accusations of bribery by an African state-owned entity
• A multinational transport company in an investigation concerning alleged bribes paid by joint venture partners in the Middle East
• An Australian oil company on its U.K. liability for alleged corruption in non-U.K. jurisdictions
• A mining company on its liability for alleged bribes paid to foreign government officials
• Multinational companies on anti-bribery and corruption procedures and protections 

Litigation Funding

• Numerous litigation funders on merits and enforcement risks in various proceedings and on the strategy and management of portfolio cases with a view to realizing commercial value
• Various litigation funders on mitigating risk in their investments in ongoing and pipeline cases arising from changes in third party funding laws
• A large litigation funder on successfully defending a claim for security for costs in excess of £60 million
• Litigation funders and law firms on their funding arrangements with claimants
• Clients on high-value litigation funding arrangements

Author, Deepfakes Damage Democracy, but What Can We Do About It?, The Times (November 2024)

Co-author, Trump Immunity Doesn’t Stretch to English Courts, The Times (July 2024)

Co-author, SFO director appears to be levelling the playing field in latest strategy, FT Adviser (May 2024)

Co-author, UK Supreme Court Settles Scope of Directors’ Duties to Creditors (October 2022)

Can I Invest to Avoid an Inheritance Tax Bill?, Financial Times (May 2022)

Connected and Collateral Consequences of Corporate Crime: Can a Corporate Survive a Criminal Conviction?, International Comparative Legal Guide to Business Crime (October 2020)

Co-author, Lessons on Litigation Privilege in Internal Investigations from the U.K.’s Bilta v. Royal Bank of Scotland Case, Cybersecurity Law Report (2018)

Co-author, INSIGHT: Lessons on Privilege from Landmark English Ruling, Bloomberg Law (2018)

Co-author, What Compliance Lessons Can Companies Learn From the SFO’s First Two DPAs?, Anti-Corruption Report (2016)

Co-author, Anti-Corruption Initiatives, Latin American Upstream Laws and Regulations: A Practical Guide, Globe (May 2015) 

Co-author, Bribery & Corruption: Implications for Energy Companies, Energy Source (June 2014)

Cited,  Bribery & Corruption: Falling Foul? A proposal to widen the ambit of the UK Bribery Act could spell Trouble for Indian Companies (April 2014)